Linotype-machine.



PATENTED AUG. 4, 1903.

J. L. EBAUGH.

'LINOTYPE MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 1. 1903 N0 MODEL. 2 sums-sum 1.

III-i zAZzE/V TOR- A Home Tm: NORRIS mans ca. morou'mou wAsMmr-wm n No.735.226.: I PATENTED AUG.4, 1903.

J. L. EBAUGK.

LINOTYPE MACHINE.

APPLICATION IILEDVJUNE 1. 1903.

no MODEL. 2 SHEETS-$11331 2.

No. 735,220, I

UNITED "STATES iatented August 4, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN LYNN EBAUGH, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR TO MER- GENTHALERLINOTYPE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LlNOTYPE-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 735,226, dated August4, 1903.

Application filed Tune 1. 1903. Serial No, 159,699. (No model.)

To all whom it may cnccrn.-.

Be it known that I, JOHN LYN EBAUeH, of New Orleans, parish of Orleans,and State of Louisiana, have inventeda new and useful Improvement inLinotype-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the expansible wedge-spacersor justifiers of the Schuckers type, broadly covered by United StatesPatent No. 474,306, as used in the Mergenthaler linotype and analogousmachines.

tion.

In the .Mergenthaler machines these spacers are arranged to circulatefrom their magazine to the composed line and thence in the .line to thecasting mechanism and finally back to the magazine. They consist each ofa short wedge to be inserted and locked in the line and a longer wedgecarried by the first and connected thereto by a vertical sliding joint,so that the longer wedge maybe thrust upward through the composed lineto expand or elongate the same and eifect the justifica- In theoperation of the machine these composite spacers are dropped. into theline in the course of composition from above, en-

- tering the same between the star-wheel or pusher and the matrix lastadded to the line.

In practice it is sometimes'found that the spacers will hesitate'indescending to their final positions in the line, because their thicklower ends do not pass readily between the star-wheel and the'end of theline. It is also found that the lower ends of the spacers enteringabruptly to their full thickness between the line and the star-wheeltend-to Wear and mutilate the latter and also cause the line to beforced forward with a violent action. In order to overcome thesedifficulties, to ease the action of the parts, and to reduce the wearand increase'thels'peed of assemblage, I round or taper the lower end ofthe spacer by gradually reducing its thickness toward the lower end,preferably on the side distant from the star-wheel or pusher.

The essence of the invention resides in tapering the spacer or reducingits thickness toward the lower end. The form of the reduced portionandthe extent of the reduction may be varied at will provided the mode ofaction herein described is retained.

Figure 1 is a face view of my improved line as usual.

rear elevation of a matrix-line containing a spacer with the movablemember at its extreme elevation.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A represents my improved spacer, consistingof the two members or wedges a and a, tapered in opposite directions.The upper and shorter wedge a is formed with ears extending edgewisefrom the upper end for the purpese of supporting and looking it in thecomposed The longer wedge (1, having its thin end uppermost, is providedwith a longitudinal dovetail slot which receives a corresponding tongueon the part a, the silding joint or connection thus formed serving tohold the two parts together and to adapt the shorter member to carry thelonger, while at the same time permitting the long member to be thrustupward through the composed line past its companion in order to increasethe thickness of the operative portion inthe line. As far as describedthe spacer is of ordinary construction familiar to those skilled in theart.

Heretofore the member a has been made of increasing thickness to itsextreme lower end, or practically so, as indicated by dotted lines inFig. 2. My improvement consists in beveling or cutting away the member aon its side face, reducing its thickness toward the lower end. Thisbeveling may begin half 'an inch, more or less, above the lowerextremity and the beveled surface may be flat or rounded. The effect ofthus beveling the member a is to give it its maximum thickness at apoint some distance above the lower end and to cause it to present athin lower end to enter between the assembler-wheel and the matrix-line.

In Fig. 3, 0 represents a partially-composed line of matrices; D, arotary star-Wheel by which the descending matrices and spacers arepushed forward successively against the line and the line moved bodilyforward. In this figure I'have shown one of my improved I spacersdescending to its place in the line in front of the wheel. As thespacers must close the space between the adjacent matrices upwardbetween the matrices to the casting-v point. In Fig. 4 I have shown aline of matrices containing a spacer with its member a lifted to thehighest position possible. It will be observed that the beveled portionfalls wholly below the characters or matrices proper and that thebeveling of the face does not afiect in any manner the ordinary actionof the spacer.

The essence of my invention lies in tapering or reducing in thicknessthe lower end of the spacer, which is moved upward through the line toeffect justification, and the improvement is applicable alike to allspacers having this action without regard to their details ofconstruction in other respects.

The improvement is applicable to all spacers which have a thickenedlower end, not only to two-part or double spacers of the Schuckers type,but also to stepped spacers, such as represented in Patent No. 565,440.

Good results are obtained by rounding the spacers on either side. Thebest results are secured when they are rounded on the side remote from.the star-wheel, or, in other words, on the side next to the composedline of matrices, as shown in the drawings. WVhen thus rounded, they arefree from liability to override or strike upon the end of thematrix-line. In other words, they are certain. to descend speedily andeasily to their proper places at the end of the line.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A spacerforalinotype-machine, consisting of oppositely-tapered connecting-wedges,the lowermost wedge having its lower end re duced in thickness,substantially as described.

2. The spacer for a linotype-inachine, comprising the supporting-wedgea, with its thin end lowermost, and the connected wedge a, having itsoperative portion tapered in one direction, and its lower extremitytapered in the opposite direction.

3. The spacer or justifier, consisting of the short wedge a, and thelonger wedge a connected thereto bya sliding joint, and having its lowerend beveled, substantially as shown at a 4. In a linotype-Inachine, incombination with a series of circulating matrices O and a star-wheel orpusher D, a series of composite Wedge-spacers A, having their lower endsreduced in thickness to facilitate their entrance in front of thepusher. I

5. A spacer fora linotype-machine, having its body portion of increasingthickness from the upper toward the lower end, and with the lowerextremity reduced in thickness, substantially as described and shown.

6. In a linotype-machine and incombination with the circulating matricesand a device for assembling them in line, a series of circulatingtapered spacers, arranged to enter the line from above, said spacershaving their lower extremities tapered on the side remote from theassembling device.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand this 21st day of May, 1903,in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

JOHN LYNN EBAUGI-I.

Witnesses:

JOHN R. LooMIs, EDMUND WEGENER.

